Game.



No. 695,919. Patented Mar. 25,1902. F. F. ESSER. Y

GAME.

(Application filed. Mar. 2 1901 I (No Model.)

Ill 7 UNlTE STATES PATENT OFFIQEL FRED F. ESSER, OF ACKLEY, IOWA.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,919, dated March25, 1902.

Application filed March 26,1901- Serial No. 52,847. (No model.)

T to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED F. ESSER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ackley, in the county of Hardin and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain newand usefulImprovements in Games; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a game for home amusement for all classes andages. The game comprises a base or board having pockets and elevatedrests, jacks or flips applied to the base and consisting of blocks orstrips mounted for pivotal movement, pieces adapted to be placed upon anend of the flips or jacks, and

mallets or strikers for tapping the flips to project the pieces placedthereon into the air, so as to fall upon the base and enter one of thepockets or settle upon one of the rests.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreflecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand drawings hereto attached.

WVhile the essential and characteristic features of the invention arenecessarily susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodimentof the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which'Figure 1 is a perspective View of the game. Fig. 2 is a section thereof.

The same parts are referred to in the following description andindicated in both views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The base 1 is preferably aboard of substantially square form and isprovided in its top side with a series of pockets 2 and a number ofelevations or rests 3. A rim 4 surrounds the base to retain the men orpieces thereon. The pockets 2 are differently numbered to indicatepoints or counts, and the elevations or rests 3 are similarly numbered.The pockets most easy of accessare numbered to indicate the least numberof points or counts, whereas the pockets most difficult of accessreceive the highest number.

To play the game, men or pieces 5 are projected into the air and fallupon the base, and such pieces as enter the pockets or are reupon thebase or leaving the same do not count.

In order to project the pieces or men into the air,flips or jacks 6 areprovided and are attached and mounted upon the base in such a manner asto admit of their free pivotal movement, which is essential, as willpresently appear. There may be as many of these flips or jacks 6 asdesired, and, as shown, four are generally deemed sufficient and areattached to the base near the corners. These flips or jacks consist ofblocks or strips beveled at one end, as shown at 7, to admit of theturning of the jacks when struck to project the men or pieces into theair. The beveled ends 7 face inward, so as to cause the pieces to fallupon the base. The diagonally-opposite parts of the flips or jacks arenotched, as shown at 8, to form seats for the reception of the men orpieces 5, and these seats 8 are slightly inclined to further assist inthrowing the pieces toward the center or opposite part of the base. Theseats 8 incline inward and downward, and the shoulders 9, formed at theinner end of the seats, constitute stops to limit the inward movement ofthe men or pieces 5, thereby fixing their position. Vertical openingsare formed medially of the flips or jacks and receive the fastenings 10,bymeans of which they are held in place,and which fastenings arepreferably brads or headed pins. The vertical openings formed in theflips or jacks Shave their inner end portions, as 11, of less diameterthan the outer end portions 12, whicl1 are designed toreceive the headsof the fastenings 10. i The part 11 of the openings is of largerdiameter than the fastening 10 to admit of perfect freedom of movementof the flips or jacks both vertically and pivotally. The depth of thepart 12 is ample to allow for the free upward move ment of the flips orjacks when struck to throw the piece into the air. As shown and stated,the flips 0r jacks are located at the corners of the base and normallyoccupy a diagonal position. The pockets 2 are located upon diagonallines connecting diagonally-opposite corners of the base, one of thepockets being located at the intersection of the said lines. Theelevations or rests 3 are located intermediate of the outermost pocketsand make the highest count for the player,- because of the greatdifficulty in causing the men or pieces to lodge thereon.

The men or pieces 5 may be of any form and construction and arepreferably disks of wood or other selected material and are of a size torest conveniently upon the seats 8 and readily enter any one of thepockets 2. These men or pieces are preferably of contrasting color, sothat the pieces of one player maybe readily determined from the piecesof another player. The flips or jacks are preferably struck a smart andlight blow by means of a mallet 13 or kindred instrument, said malletbeing comparatively light to prevent throwing the piece or man 5 out ofrange of the base 1. Each player is provided with a mallet and with agiven number of pieces, and after the lead has been determined upon theplayer first to enter places a piece or man upon the seat 8 of thenearest flip or jack and strikes the inner end of the said flip, therebyprojecting the piece into the air, so as to fall upon the base 1. If thepiece enters a pocket or lights upon a rest 3, it counts the number ofpoints allotted to the said pocket or rest. The next player operates ina similarmanner. The players may alternate, and this is the preferableway, or each may use all of the pieces in one turn. The number of pointsand the particular manner of playing may be varied and determined uponat the option of the players.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- In agame, a substantially square base having a rim extended upward from itsedges, and having a central pocket and other pockets intermediate thecentral pocket and the corners of the base, rests or elevations near theedges of the base and midway between the corners thereof, and flips orjacks near the corners of the base and mounted for pivotal and tiltingmovement and adapted to project pieces into the air for alighting uponthe base, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRED F. ESSER. [L. s]

Witnesses:

S. S. TRAINER, W. A. BATH.

